Exercising apparatus



April s, 1930.l

H. o.V COSTELLO EXERGIS'ING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 23, 192s Patented Apr. 8, 1930 PATENT voFl-lfcrf HENRY o. COSTELLO, or' PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND EXERCISING APPARATUS Application led January' l23, 1928. Serial No. 248,817.

` This invention relates to an improved exercising apparatus adapted for use both as an exercising device and for the training' of athletes in preparation for boxing, foot-ball, soccer, etc.

One object of the present invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive device of this character which may -be easily transported from place to place and employed in an ordinary room for acquiring exercise or for training for sports or games without requiring the cumbersome and expensive equipment usually-found in gymnasiums or training quarters.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved exercising apparatus which is particularly adapted for training athletes in boxing, in catching and passing a ball as in foot-ball and basket-ball, and in ushing or kicking the ball as in soccer;

Another object of the invention is the provision of improved means for resiliently supporting a balll from the head of the user ata point above the eyes in such a manner that the ball when in motion-under the impulse of jblows delivered by the user will normally move in such a path as to permit an unobstructed view thereof by the user, and will tend to return towards the user along a path extending substantially directly towards the face of the user.

A furtherobject of the invention is the provision of an improved form of helmet, or head-piece for supporting .an inflated ball in proper position for its manipulation by the wearer. Y

Other obj ects and advantages of the invention relate to various improved details of construction and novel methods of operation as will be more vfully set forth in the detailed description to follow.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the improved apparatus, illustrating the position of the parts when carried by the head of the user,

and indicating diagrammatically the manner p in which the same may be manipulated by the user,

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the head-piece illustrating the supporting brace and showing the means by which the same is secured to the head-band, and,

Fig. 3 is a detail view of a form o f swivel which may be employed for attaching the ball to the supporting arm.

Referring to the Vdrawings wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, 1 indicates generally a helmet or head-piece which in the embodiment illustrated comprises a band 2 formed of suitable material such as leather or the like, and capable of being secured in a plurality of adjusted positions by a buckle or other fastening means 3 to fit the head-of the user. A supporting arm 4 has one end attached to that portion ofthe band 2 which is located at the back of the head by means of an attaching-clip 5, the arm 4 being curved upwardly and for-A wardly as at 6 above the head of the u ser and extending forwardly to terminate in a swivel holding bracket 7' which is normally located in front of and slightly above the face of the user. A swivel 8 is pivotally supported in an opening formed in the bracket 7 and Vis held against accidental removel therefrom by a nut 9 threaded upon one end of the swivel. The opposite end of the swivel member 8 is bent back upon itself to provide a restricted opening 10 which is adapted to The band 2 may be provided upon the inner Vside thereof with a pad 16 adapted to cover the inner ends of the attaching devices emloyed for securing the clips 14 and 15 to the band, and to serve as a protection for the 12, which may be of head ofthe user, and a similar pad maybe 4 secured to the inner face of the band o np'ite the clip 5 if desired.

An inated ball 17 is secured to the elastic cord 11 in any suitable or desired manner, as, for example, by means of a ring 18, the elasticity of the cord 11 being such as to permit the ball to move outwardly to a considerable extent under the impact of a blow and cause the same to return rapidly towards the face of the user after -it has reached the limit of its outward movement. It is of course to be understood that the cord l1 may be anyelastic member such as a suitable spring or the like, but I prefer to employ an elastic cord of suicient strength to properly control the movement of the ball.

By providing means for regulating the length of the elastic member 11, as shown,`it is possible to -secure the member 11 to the swivel at any desired point intermediate the ends of the elastic member 11, whereby the ball is caused to rebound more or less rapidly when struck by the user, in general the shorter the length of the cord 11 between the swivel 8 and the ball 17 the more rapid will be the movement of the ball in rebounding after be- .ing3struc'lny regulating the effective length o f the elastic'cord 11 etween the point of'attachment to the swivel 8 and the ball 17 the ball may be'made to rebound with greater or less rapidity as maybe desired.

. The apparatus, -it will be seen, possesses the advantage of bein entirely noiseless when in use as contradistlnguished from the usual frame sup orted punching b ag.

It will e seen that the apparatus shown and described provides a novel form of punching bag or exercisingk device, which is capable of use as a punching bag either in a gymnasium or in any ordinary room, and is adapted to combine shadow boxing with exercise' and training in pnuching the bag since the wearer may move about at will while using the apparatus. The apparatus is excellently adapted, moreover, for training the eye of the user in accurate hitting, since the hall, being carried by the user, is capable of moving at more and different angles than the usual stationary unching bag, and thus requires accurate hitting to keep the same in motion.

The structure is well adapted also for training foot-ball, lbasket-ball, soccer and handball players for accuracy either in hitting or in catching the ball, since an elastic cord of any suitable and desired length may be' used and the ball may be thrown as well as struck, if desired, the cord insuring the return of the ball to theuser in all cases. It is to be understood that the embodiment of the in` `vention shown and described is to be taken having a: band may bemadein the form, proportion and ar a supporting frame having a band to be securedto a part of the body of the`user, an arm Acarried by said frame and extending point forwardly of and above the head of the user, andja ball resiliently and pivotally sup-` toa' ported from the forwardlyextending por-l tion of said arm.

3. 'An exercising devicecomprising a frame to he secured to the head of the user and provided with a. projectingarm located above the head vof the user and extending to a point forwardly thereof, a punchingA bag supported from said forwardly extending' arm in position to be returned towards and in a direction substantially directly towards 'the face of the user after being struck by the user. Y'

` 4. An exercising apparatus comprising a supporting frame having a band secured to the'head of the user and provided with an upwardly and forwardly projecting arm extendin to a point forwardl of and above the eyes 0 the'user, a longitud'nally extensible elastic cord having one end secured to said forwardly projecting arm, and a punching ball secured to' the other end of said longitudinally extensible elastic cord, whereby upon the ball being struck by the user part of the force of the blow will be expended in stretching said elastic cord in a direction longitudinally thereof and the energy thus stored in the elastic cord utilized to effect the return of the ball substantially directly to- 

